Halfway finished with 49ers-Raiders work

Day 2 of the 49ers-Raiders practices is set to begin at 8:30 this morning. I’ll be trying to keep my eyes peeled for anything noteworthy.

From the first day . . .

–Niners RB Frank Gore definitely made the biggest splash. I’ve never seen him so fired up. He was so dominating during that one-on-one blitz pickup drill that it was scary. I think Frank is taking the fact the 49ers drafted Glen Coffee in the third round as a challenge.

–Here are some great photos from John Burgess, including images of Gore’s dominance.

–Receiver Isaac Bruce participated in the morning practice and took off the afternoon. In the morning, he was very sharp. He did a number on the Raiders’ cornerbacks (minus Nnamdi Asomugha).

–Shaun Hill had a better day than Alex Smith, but not enough to make much of a difference in the quarterback competition. It’s still tight. This game Saturday will be significant for Smith. The smart money says Smith will start against the Raiders. (But Mike Singletary has yet to make an announcement.)

–Rookie QB Nate Davis got some reps yesterday. That was good for him to face an enemy defense. He appears very uncomfortable in the offense, and that’s only to be expected. He needs all the work he can get at this stage of his development.

–I did not see much happening on the other side of the ball. It looked as if the Raiders were having a difficult time completing passes on the 49ers. But it also didn’t look as if the 49ers’ pass rush was doing much.

–There were no scuffles on Day 1. But what will happen today with two more practices scheduled?

Also:

–Running back Thomas Clayton (ACL) cleared waivers and reverts to the 49ers’ injured reserve list. Clayton is out for the season but the 49ers retain his rights. It’s really too bad because I felt this year that Clayton would end up on a 53-man roster, even it if wasn’t the 49ers. I’d heard that the Eagles were sniffing around.

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